National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE REFORM ACT OF 2004-CONTINUED

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to commend my colleagues on the adoption of amendment No. 3765 to S. 2845, the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, which will create an Office of Geospatial Management within the Department of Homeland Security, DHS.

This amendment originated as a stand alone bill, S. 1230, which was introduced by Senator Allard and amended by Senators COLLINS, LIEBERMAN, and myself in a Governmental Affairs Committee business meeting. I thank Senator Allard, who shares my interest in geospatial information sharing, for offering this amendment, as well as Senators COLLINS and LIEBERMAN for their continued support on this issue.

Much of the discussion that has grown from the 9/11 Commission report has centered around the institutional stovepipes that impede information sharing within the Government, which is why this amendment is so important. While the term "geospatial" is foreign to many, the tools it describes are relied upon by all. The 9/11 Commission recommended that the President "lead a government-wide effort to bring major national security institutions into the information revolution." Geospatial coordination is a critical component of that effort.

Geospatial technologies, such as satellite imagery and aerial photography, provide data that create the maps and charts that can help prevent a disaster from occurring or lessen the impact of an unforeseeable event by equipping first responders with up-to-date information. In the event of a terrorist chemical attack, knowing which way a contaminated plume will travel can save lives. Similarly, the damage of a natural disaster, such as a wildfire, can be lessened by maps that help predict which areas will be in the path of the blaze.

All levels of government are more effective and efficient when employing geospatial technology, especially in the area of homeland security. According to DHS, geospatial information is used for intelligence, law enforcement, first response, disaster recovery, and agency management-virtually every function of the Department.

When the Department was created in 2003, it brought together components from 22 separate agencies, each of which managed its geospatial needs independently. In the past year, the Department has encountered significant difficulties integrating personnel, financial systems, and computer systems from the legacy agencies. Geospatial information has been no different.

A September 2004 Government Accountability Office, GAO, report entitled "Maritime Security: Better Planning Needed to Help Ensure Effective Port Security Assessment Program," found that the development of a geographic information system, GIS-GIS is often used as a synonym for geospatial to map the Nation's most strategic ports would greatly benefit the Coast Guard as it implements the Port Security Assessment Program. A GIS would integrate all security information pertaining to one port into a single database so that it is easily accessible and can be frequently updated. In addition, it would give the Coast Guard the ability to visually map a port so that it can quickly identify the location and surrounding environment of an at-risk container before deploying a response team, for example.

However, GAO also found that:

The Coast Guard lacks a strategy that clearly defines how the (GIS) program will be managed, how much it will cost, or what activities will continue over the long term.

The legacy agencies that make up DHS had traditionally managed their own geospatial procurement. But many of the homeland and non-homeland security missions of DHS complement each other. Sharing maps and data reduces redundancy, provides savings, and ensures better information for disaster response.

Currently, the DHS Chief Information Officer, CIO, is working to break down this geospatial stovepiping within the Department by naming a Geospatial Information Officer. However, there is no single office in DHS officially responsible for geospatial management and, therefore, no corresponding budget. In the present structure, the Geospatial Information
Officer does not have the authority to compel the five DHS directorates to cooperate with his efforts. The entire agency should make geospatial coordination a priority.

A geospatial management office needs to be created and codified within DHS. A congressionally mandated office would give the Geospatial Information Officer more authority with which to do this job.

The Office of Geospatial Management has the potential to significantly increase the quality of the resources homeland security officials rely on by reducing redundancy and improving the quality of geospatial procurement. But in order to do this it needs authority and funding.

This office would also serve as a mechanism for coordinating with State and local authorities. Much of the geospatial information available today is created at the State and local levels. Centralizing this information will make it more widely available to first responders and other homeland security officials.

In order to facilitate this process, it is also important that local governments initiate their own coordination efforts. In June 2003, the city of Honolulu conducted a pilot program to foster geospatial coordination and collaboration among public and private stakeholders in critical infrastructure protection. Representatives from local and State government, utility companies, and other private organizations came together to identify potential impediments to geospatial information sharing in Honolulu and to develop a plan to circumvent those impediments. I commend the government of the City and County of Honolulu for hosting such an exemplary event. This sort of commitment at a local level is crucial to breaking down the geospatial stovepipes that exist at all levels of government. I hope other cities will follow suit.

This amendment will help DHS to better coordinate its activities, and will ultimately make our Nation safer and prevent duplicative spending. I appreciate my colleagues' endorsement of this important issue, and urge that this language be maintained in the final version of the intelligence reorganization bill that is sent to the President.